34th Flying Training Wing (World War II)
|allegiance= |branch= United States Army Air Forces |type= Command and Control |role= Training |size= |command_structure= Army Air Forces Training Command |current_commander= |garrison= |battles= World War II * World War II American Theater |decorations= }} The 34th Flying Training Wing is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Central Flying Training Command, and was disbanded on 16 June 1946 at Midland Army Airfield, Texas. There is no lineage between the United States Air Force 34th Training Wing, established on 20 November 1940 as the 34th Bombardment Group (Heavy) at Langley Field, Virginia, and this organization. History The wing was a World War II Command and Control organization which supported Training Command Flight Schools in Central and Northern Texas and Oklahoma. The assigned schools provided specialized training for bombardiers, and the wing was the home of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools (Childress, Midland, San Angelo, and Big Spring Army Airfields). The wing also provided specialized schools for training on the two-engine Martin B-26 Marauder medium bomber (Dodge City, Laughlin Army Airfields), and the B-24 Liberator four-engine heavy bomber (Fort Worth, Liberal Army Airfields). After graduation Air Cadets were commissioned as Second Lieutenants, received their "wings" and were reassigned to Operational or Replacement Training Units operated by one of the four numbered air fores in the zone of interior. As training requirements changed during the war, schools were activated and inactivated or transferred to meet those requirements.Manning, Thomas A. (2005), History of Air Education and Training Command, 1942–2002. Office of History and Research, Headquarters, AETC, Randolph AFB, Texas ASIN: B000NYX3PC Lineage * Established as 34th Flying Training Wing on 17 December 1942 : Activated on 8 January 1943 : Disbanded c. 16 June 194634th Flying Training Wing, lineage and history document Air Force Historical Agency, Maxwell AFB, Alabama Assignments * AAF Gulf Coast Training Center (later Central Flying Training Command), 8 January 1943 – 16 June 1946 Training aircraft The schools of the wing used primarily the Beechcraft AT-11 for bombardier training. * Two-Engine training was performed on the Martin B-26 Marauder * Four-Engine training was performed on the Consolidated B-24 Liberator Assigned Schools ; Big Spring Army Airfield, Big Spring, Texas : AAF Bombardier School : 77th Bombardier Training Group : Opened: August 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)www.accident-report.com: Big Spring Army Airfield : One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools; closed 1945, reopened 1951 as Big Spring Air Force Base; later Webb Air Force Base, closed 1977 ; Childress Army Airfield, Childress, Texas : AAF Bombardier School : 79th Bombardier Training Group : Opened January 1943, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)www.accident-report.com: Childress Army Airfield : One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools. ; Dodge City Army Airfield, Dodge City, Kansas : AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Two-Engine) : Opened May 1943, Closed: December 1945 (B-26)www.accident-report.com: Dodge City Army Airfield : Provided B-26 Marauder training and transition training. Also trained Free French and WASP pilots on the B-26 ; Fort Worth Army Airfield, Fort Worth, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Specialized, 4-Engine), also Transition School : 96th Pilot Transition Training Group (4 Engine) : Opened May 1943, Closed: December 1945 (B-24)www.accident-report.com: Fort Worth Army Airfield : Also known as Tarrant Army Airfield; performed B-32 Dominator training in 1945; remained open after the war as Carswell AFB, closed 1993, now NAS Fort Worth (Navy), Carswell Field, (USAFR) ; Laughlin Army Airfield, Midland, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Two-Engine) : Opened January 1943, Closed: August 1945 (B-26)www.accident-report.com: Laughlin Army Airfield : Provided B-26 Marauder training and transition training. Also trained Free French and WASP pilots on the B-26; Became A-26 Invader school, August 1945; remained open after the war as Laughlin Air Force Base. ; Liberal Army Airfield, Liberal, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Specialized, Four-Engine) : Opened May 1943, Closed: September 1945 (B-24)www.accident-report.com: Liberal Army Airfield : Provided 4-engine training on the B-24 Liberator and transition training. ; Midland Army Airfield, Midland, Texas : AAF Instructors School (Bombardiers) : AAF Bombardier School : 78th Bombardier Training Group : Opened January 1942, Closed: December 1945 (AT-11)www.accident-report.com: Midland Army Airfield : One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools. ; San Angelo Army Airfield, San Angelo, Texas : AAF Pilot School (Basic) : 49th Basic Flying Training Group : AAF Bombardier School : 76th Bombardier Training Group : Opened: February 1941, Closed: August 1945 (BT-14, BT-15, AT-11)www.accident-report.com: San Angelo Army Airfield : Basic school closed March 1942; One of the "West Texas Bombardier Quadrangle" schools. Stations * San Angelo Army Airfield, Texas, 8 January 1943 * Midland Army Airfield, Texas, 25 May 1945 – 16 June 1946 See also * Army Air Forces Training Command * Other Central Flying Training Command Flight Training Wings: : 31st Flying Training Wing (World War II) Primary Flight Training : 32d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Basic Flight Training : 33d Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Two Engine : 77th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Advanced Flight Training, Single Engine : 78th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Classifcation/Preflight Unit : 80th Flying Training Wing (World War II) Navigation and Glider References }}